The Only Secret I Shall Keep
by Percussiongirl19
Summary: Ruthie Miller has been Embry's best friend forever. They know everything about each other, or so they think.
1. I Promise

Embry

I woke up to darkness, a stiffness in my back. The tv was on quietly, playing some reruns of cartoons that nobody watched anymore. I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. As my eyes adjusted to the light from the tv, I saw my best friend sleeping on the other end of the couch, our feet tangled together. That would explain why I was so sore. The little couch barely fit me by myself, let alone me and my friend. I realized it must be pretty late, so I nudged her slightly.

"Ruthie, we fell asleep. Ruthie wake up." I said. She groaned a little, sitting up tiredly.

"Do I have to?" She growled.

"Just long enough to tell me if you want me to take you home." I said, already knowing what her answer would be. She shook her head slightly.

"Can I just... Can I just stay..?" She asked. I didn't answer her question, just scooped her into my arms and brought her into my bedroom. I laid her gently on the bed and pulled the covers over her. She smiled in her sleep as she snuggled deeper into my sheets. I climbed out the window after giving her one last glance and phased while I was in the shadows of my house.

_Sorry guys, fell asleep_ I thought to the pack.

_Glad you could join us _ Sam said. He was obviously in a bad mood. The other guys were a little more empathetic, knowing what it felt like to accidentally fall asleep longer than expected. I ran down the small path near my house into the woods, the rest of the pack filling me in on what I had missed. Not much had been going on, just a few vamps here and there. Nothing too dangerous. Hopefully my patrol could get me back to the house before my mom got up. If she saw I was out again, she'd be angry. She wouldn't yell at me until Ruthie left though. My mom adored her, and rightly so. Ruthie was my best friend for a reason. I ran the patrol line that bordered Forks. Since the battle, we had extended our lines to be closer to the Cullen's house. I didn't mind it too much, though some of the other wolves did.

As I ran, I delved into the pack mind. Paul was complaining about how Scarlett had yelled at him for telling her she should take a day to relax. She had just recently moved into his house with him, and being the athlete she was she had been running around the Rez doing everything that needed to be done. Her personality was not the kind of person to take a day off. Seth was thinking about how Ri's best friend was visiting her. He hated not being able to spend all day with her, but he liked Jake regardless. Sam was thinking about Emily. She was three months pregnant, and he was three times more worried about her as he was the day he told us that they were expecting.

These thoughts ran through my mind until I found myself back at my house. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, and I pulled on my shorts, hoping to get some more sleep before Ruthie woke up. I climbed back in through my bedroom window, seeing Ruthie still sound asleep in my bed. I shut my door silently as I went into the living room, planning on sleeping on the couch again. My plans were spoiled, however, by my mother sitting on the couch.

"Where have you been?" She asked in a whisper, not bothering to stop for the explanation hanging off my tongue.

"I never heard Ruthie go home last night, so I went to your room to see if she was still here. I was right, she was, but you were gone." She stated. I looked down at the worn wood floor. My mom still didn't know I was a wolf, so I got this kind of lecture a lot.

"When are you going to outgrow this phase?" She said, still hushed. I had been sneaking out to be with the pack for three years now. My mom still thought it was a rebellious teenage phase. I stood in the doorway for another ten minutes while she continued to lecture me until finally she said I could go to my room. Hungry and tired, I turned on my heel into my bedroom. Ruthie stirred as I sat on the edge of the bed.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"5:30" I replied, leaning my head against the wall. She opened her eyes wide, panic stricken.

"I have to go home. My dad will kill me if breakfast isn't ready when he wakes up." She said, scrambling out of bed and shoving her shoes on her feet.

"Didn't you say your dad was colorful last night?" I said, using the term that we had been using since childhood to describe Ruthie's dad's alcohol problem. If he was hungover he should sleep pretty late.

"He has work today, so it's all the more reason to get home. He's bad when he's hungry after a colorful night and has to wake up early." She said.

"At least let me drive you home." I pleaded. I hated it when Ruthie left the security of my house.

"Fine, but you have to stay in the car." She said sternly. As we passed through the living room, I kept my eyes on the floor.

"Em's just gonna drive me home. Sorry if I was intruding Mrs. Call." Ruthie said shyly. My mom became the opposite of what she had been with me earlier.

"Anytime Ruthie. It's always a pleasure to have you around!" My mom said sweetly. I grabbed my keys off of the table and practically pulled Ruthie out of my house.

Ruthie slid into the shotgun seat of my 1965 mustang. I had worked years to save up enough to buy this car, and Ruthie had been there for most of it. She was as comfortable in my car as I was. I out the keys in the ignition and started her up, glancing over at Ruthie's tense figure.

"If anything happens give me a call. I'll be over as soon as I can." I said as I backed out of my driveway. Ruthie nodded and leaned back in the seat. I could drive the route to her house with my eyes closed, but she wouldn't let me try. I took the familiar turns and corners until I pulled in front of her powder blue house. I turned off the car and looked at Ruthie. She had her hand on the door handle, but was hesitating to leave.

"Promise me you'll call if anything happens?" I said, grabbing her free hand. She gave me a shy smile and squeezed my hand.

"I promise."

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**hello! Welcome welcome welcome! I hope you enjoy immensely! Also a disclaimer: I do not own anything twilight, I just like to use the characters and he universe for my own endeavors! Please review!**


	2. Home life

Ruthie

My stomach was in a knot as I entered my house. Luckily my dad was passed out on the kitchen floor, a bottle of beer in his hand. I searched through the refrigerator until I found a pack of bacon and started cooking it, the sizzle of the pan soothing my nerves. I watched my dad get up off the floor. There were vomit stains on his wrinkled shirt. I wracked my brain to remember if I had put his clean clothes in his bedroom yet. I kept cooking the bacon as my dad lumbered around the house. First he went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Then he went into his bedroom. I held my breath as I waited. My dad came out wearing a fresh shirt and pants. I let out a breath and continued his breakfast. As I slid it across the table to him, he glanced up.

"Where were you last night young lady?" He said gruffly.

"I was here the whole time Papa." I lied smoothly. I wasn't sure how aware he was of what happened last night. If I was lucky he would believe me and I would get off the hook.

"You scummy liar, you weren't here otherwise the bathroom would be clean. Where were you last night?" He said again, his face turning red.

"I went over to Embry's because I thought you didn't need me here." I said as I cleaned up the outdated kitchen.

"You little slut." He growled, standing up sharply.

"You better serve me and my friends extra good tonight or else I'll lock you in the closet." He threatened, grabbing the front of my shirt. I nodded quickly, closing my eyes and bracing myself for what I knew was coming. I felt the stinging slap of my fathers hand on my cheek. I realized I'd have to tell Embry about this. I was terrible at lying to him, and no doubt he'd ask if anything happened.

I spent the rest of the morning quietly cleaning after my dad left for work. As soon as it was done, I began my walk to the beach. I knew Embry would be waiting for me there, as it was our routine.

"How was your morning?" He asked, handing me a sandwich as we sat on a blanket in the sand.

"Uneventful. Did some cooking, cleaning, the usual. How was yours?" I said. Embry didn't respond, just looked at me intently.

"I told you to call if anything happened." He said after a moments silence.

"Nothing big happened." I said.

"Ruthie Miller you are such a horrible liar." Embry said with a grin, but his smile quickly reverted back to a scowl as he brought a hand to my face. He rubbed his thumb over my cheek where my dad had hit me. I must have winced, because he pulled his had away sharply.

"He can't keep doing this to you." Embry said.

"He's been doing it for seventeen years. You know why I can't do anything. They'll take me away from here." I said. Embry seemed torn. He always wanted me to be safe and comfortable, but we both knew that if we reported my dad Child Services would take me away and I may never see Embry again.

"How was your morning?" I asked again. Embry sighed.

"The usual. A lecture from my mom, a wink from my dad, and a lot of work stuff from the guys." He said with an eye roll.

"Hey, can you come over tonight? I found a movie that looks sick." He said, his eyes lighting up.

"I have to help my dad. He has some friends coming over." Embry looked crestfallen.

"Some other time then?" He asked, looking at me with puppy dog eyes that he knew I couldn't resist.

"Of course." I said with a smile. Embry and I spent the whole afternoon on the beach together, before I had to go home.

"Let me drive you." Embry insisted. I climbed into his red car and inhaled the woodsy scent that surrounded me.

"Maybe I can work tonight, get some hours in so I can spend time with you when you're available." He said to nobody in particular.

"Don't you go changing your whole schedule for me. You've been at this job for three years now. I don't want to mess things up." I said.

"It's fine. Trust me." He said.

"Course I do." I said sarcastically as I jumped out of his car when he pulled into my driveway.

"See you tomorrow, same time same place!" He called out the window as I walked up to the front door. I just waved goodbye. The first thing I did when I got into the house was put on the skirt and blouse my dad made me wear when he had company. Then I cooked up all of my dad's requested snacks, including hot dogs and nachos and anything else that was extremely unhealthy. I made sure there was enough alcohol in the cooler in the game room, then waited quietly in the kitchen for my dad and his friends to come home.

The night went pretty much as I expected. My dad and his friends ate and drank and played games until they were all drunk. My dad passed out first, which doesn't usually happen. This was a new group of men who I had never seen before. Great, my dad has more of a social life than I do. I went into the game room as I had been doing all night, cleaning up dishes and bottles and trash, when one of the men stopped me.

"Hey pretty girl." He said, his words slurring together and his hand tightening on my arm. I tried to pull free, keeping my head down, but he used his other hand to pull my chin up towards his face.

"How bout you show me where your bedroom is? And if ya don't, I'll tell your daddy that you didn't do as I asked." His breath reeked of alcohol. I didn't want to comply, but I had no choice. Be locked in a closet for two days, or let this man have what he wants for one night. I walked with the man through the kitchen into the living room. I was about to go up the stairs, when he pulled me to a stop.

"This is good enough." He said, grabbing my chin once more and kissing me roughly.

"Betcha never have fun girl. Let me show you fun." He said as he shoved me onto the couch and pulled apart the front of my shirt.

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**ok, so this is a little different than the fluff I usually write. But it's kinda interesting. If you're looking for fluff go check out my other stories. They all kinda go together. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Review please!**


	3. Where it Began

Embry

Letting Ruthie go back home is one of the hardest things I had to do during the day. I couldn't wait until she turned eighteen. Once she was legally an adult, she could get out of there. Once she was safely out of that house I'd be able to tell her the only secret I've ever kept from my best friend.

Ruthie and I have known each other since preschool. She stood out in our class at the Rez school. She was strawberry blonde and had bright blue eyes, which contrasted with the dark hair and copper skin all the other kids had. She was so shy, even then. She wouldn't speak to anyone, and would play by herself most of the time. One day some kids were picking on her for a dark purple bruise on her cheek, so I threw sand at them. The first time I ever talked to her, was when she said in her angelic voice, "thanks". After that I took it upon myself to protect her.

Even when I met Quil and Jake, she was always my best friend. They were good for doing stupid guy stuff, working on cars and watching sports and stuff, but Ruthie had a very calming aura, and if I ever had something bugging me I felt like I could tell her. The only secret I ever kept from her was when I phased for the first time. I had tried to ignore her at first. She didn't need to be caught up in this, she had enough to deal with by herself. But when Sam explained to me about how we protect the Rez, I thought about Ruthie at home with her father by herself. I couldn't be a protector if I ignored her. So I let her back in.

She didn't mind the changes much. She teased me about how hungry I was all the time and how tall I was. Ruthie is tiny, and she seems even more so when she's standing next to me. She didn't mind when I'd accidentally fall asleep in the middle of the day when we were watching tv. I think she's had so much abnormality in her life that this was semi-normal.

I hated keeping secrets from her, especially since I knew everything about her life. Before she had moved to La Push when she was 3, she lived in Oklahoma. She had a little brother, her mother, and her father. Her father was an alcoholic, and one day came home drunk with a gun. Her mother tried to get Ruthie and her brother out of the house, but her dad fired at them. Her mother and brother were killed, and her dad packed up Ruthie and left before anyone realized they were gone. They showed up at the Rez, and Ruthie entered preschool. That's where we met.

Her dad continued to drink, and Ruthie would show up at school with bruises on her arms, or finger marks on her cheeks. Somehow she managed to hide them though. She wanted to stay on the Rez with me.

"You're my best friend Em. I can handle my dad when I get to see you every day. I couldn't take being alone forever" she told me one day when we were twelve and she was helping me with my math homework. I loved being able to see her every day too. I knew she was safe when she was with me. Once I became a wolf, I saw her differently than when we were kids, however.

As soon as we met on the beach the day I chose to stop ignoring her, the world stopped rotating around the sun. This was Ruthie, my sweet little Ruthie, and she was more than my whole world. I loved her more than anyone could possibly love another person. I didn't want to date her though. I mean, ideally I did, but she didn't need a boyfriend. Not until she was out of her house. I knew my purpose as a wolf was to protect my Ruthie. Sam later explained to me that this was called imprinting. I kept it hidden from the pack as well as I could. Sometimes I wonder if they've suspected it, but they keep their mouths shut. That's the other secret I hadn't told Ruthie. Once I told her about being a wolf, I would tell her about imprinting.

I was thinking about this while I waited on the beach for her. Today I had brought my moms fruit salad for us to eat. Ruthie was an amazing cook, but she spent so much time waiting on every need of her dad that sometimes she forgot to eat. So I took it upon myself to feed her. When Ruthie finally showed up, she was walking funny, like she was stepping on rusty nails every time she took a step. It was warm out, but she still wore jeans and a sweatshirt. She gingerly sat next to me with a grimace of a smile and I immediately began to get angry.

"What did he do to you?" I growled. Ruthie put her small hand on my knee.

"He didn't do anything." She said softly.

"Please don't lie to me Ruthie. I only want to help you. I can't help if you lie." I said, taking her hand in my own.

"No, I mean it. It wasn't my dad this time. It was his drunk friend." She said, her voice barely a whisper. If I didn't have super hearing, I probably would have had to ask her to speak up.

"Can you tell me what he did to you?" I asked. I had seen Ruthie in every state. I had learned over the years how to handle the abuse. It had gotten worse after I imprinted. I wanted to go rip apart every person who harmed her. Ruthie's lips clenched together tightly. With shaking hands she unzipped her sweatshirt, revealing the tshirt underneath. She then took the hem of her shirt and pulled it just above her belly button. I could see dark purple and yellow bruises along her sides. Long, distinguished finger marks.

"Has this happened before?" I asked quickly.

"Not like this. It was only ever my dad, and he didn't do this kind of stuff." She said. I really wanted to gather in my arms and hold her, but I didn't. Ruthie was very sensitive to physical contact. I could get away with small things, like when I had brushed her cheek the day before, or when she's asleep and I carry her to my room. But otherwise she'll shy away and become frightened.

"Hey Embry?" She asked quietly, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up at her.

"Do you think we could watch that movie now?" She said. I smiled warmly. I knew that if she came over we'd end up falling asleep on the couch again, and I'd be able to keep Ruthie safely in my house where nobody could harm her.

"Of course." I said, standing up and offering my hand to Ruthie. She hoisted herself up, obviously in pain.

"You're lucky I'm not Paul." I said nonchalantly as we walked slowly to my car.

"Why is that?" She asked.

"If anyone hurt Scarlett, he'd go beat them up." Ruthie shook her head. I had offered to go give her dad a piece of my mind once, but she said she didn't want him hurting me. I did as she asked and didn't go, because I wanted to keep her happy.

"Scarlett's also his girlfriend." She pointed out.

"Just because you're not my girlfriend doesn't mean you can't be the most important girl in my life." Ruthie blushed, then laughed.

"Don't let your mom hear that." She warned. I laughed along with her, glad that I got her to smile today. I opened the passenger door for her, mimicking a chauffeur, which made her smile even bigger. I finally went around to my side, and put the keys in the car.

"Where too, m'lady?" I asked.

"Casa de Call, please." Ruthie said. I glanced over at her again as I drove. I really was the luckiest guy on the planet, having her as my best friend.

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**hello! Thanks for reading! Lots of backstory, hopefully some questions you have are answered. If they aren't, message me or leave a review! Enjoy!**


	4. Contact

Ruthie

Being at Embry's house was like a breath of fresh air. It was more of a home to me than my own house. I knew every detail of the quaint little house. It hadn't changed much in the fourteen years I had been going there.

"Where's your mom?" I asked as Embry pulled into his driveway. His moms small car was not parked in its usual spot.

"Out for lunch with her friends or something." He said, turning the car off and opening the door. I hesitated before opening my own door. I was sore from the terror last night, and I could feel it all over my body. These had emotional pain behind them too. I had stopped being emotional about the abuse I got from my dad as I got older, but I had never been hurt by anyone else. Embry noticed I was lost in thought. He opened my door and took my hand. I loved how in tune he was with me. A lot of people didn't know how to act around me, and they didn't even know my whole story. Embry knew everything, and he was my closest supporter. He led me gently into his house, sitting me on the couch, then turning on the tv. The movie he put on was some superhero movie. Any other day we would have been jumping around like idiots, having sword fights and other stuff, but today I was sore and tired.

Embry sat next to me and put his arm up over the back of the couch. He was subtly inviting me closer, but let me make the decision. He gave me a lot of freedom and space. Unlike most days, when I normally hate physical contact, today I wanted to be cuddled. I leaned my head on Embry's shoulder and closed my eyes, letting his warm skin relax me. I felt his heartbeat quicken.

"You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to. You won't hurt my feelings." He whispered in my ear.

"I do want to Em." I whispered back. I don't know why I whispered, it just felt fitting. I thought about how Embry said I was the most important girl in his life. It obviously wasn't true. I wasn't important enough.

"Hey Em?" I said about halfway through the movie.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever thought about getting a girlfriend?" In all the time I had known him, he had never dated. He said it was because he had more important things to do, but I knew he didn't.

"I have better things to do with my time than go on pointless dates." He said, which was basically his standard answer.

"Em, all you do is work, eat, and sleep." I pointed out.

"And spend all the rest of my time with you." He looked at me pointedly.

"You know my feelings won't be hurt. I won't get jealous." I said, even though I knew I was lying.

"Ruthie, if I'm not here for you whenever you need me, who will be? I'm not going anywhere." He reassured me.

"Hey, Scarlett's cooking dinner tonight. You wanna come?" He said quickly.

"I know you're changing the subject, but yeah, sure." I mumbled.

"What was that?" He asked, tickling my sides lightly. I laughed.

"Yes I'll go to dinner tonight! But I should go put something decent on first." I said, looking at the ratty sweatshirt and jeans I was currently wearing. Embry sighed, and I felt his chest expand with the breath.

"Ok I'll drive you home." He said, turning off the tv with the remote and grabbing his keys.

"Can we walk? I have to get this soreness from my legs." I said. Embry looked at me skeptically, then nodded.

"One condition. I get to wait inside your house while you change." He said sternly. I growled a bit, but gave in. As we walked to my house, Embry kept his hand on the small of my back, feeling every painful step I took. As we approached my house I felt his fingers tighten a little. I pushed open the door and pulled out a chair for him.

"Sit. Don't move. I'll be back soon." I said, as if I were talking to a five year old. And in return Embry gave me sad puppy dog eyes. I went upstairs and started digging through my closet, trying to find something that would hide the scars and bruises on my legs. I eventually settled on a pair of khaki pants and a nice t shirt. As I was tying my sneakers back on my feet, my dad barged into my room and grabbed me by my collar.

"Why is there a boy in our kitchen?" He snarled, shaking me a little.

"He was just waiting for me to change." I said, hoping Embry didn't do anything stupid.

"Get him out of this house. There will be a big punishment when you come back." He said, hitting me across the face.

"Yes papa." I said, closing my eyes at the impact. He shoved me out the door, and I tried my best to keep myself calm as I approached Embry. He stood up as I entered the room. I avoided eye contact, just grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. I got to the trees that hid my driveway from the rest of the world before I stopped. Embry spun me around to face him, his hands on my arms. I felt tears slip down my face. I was completely embarrassed. I took one look at Embry's concerned eyes, then I buried my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms loosely around me, letting me have control.

"Ruthie sweetheart, it's ok. I promise it will all be ok." He whispered. I shook my head.

"No Em. You don't know that." I said, trying to hold back the sobs.

"I'll protect you. I promise." He said again. I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"We can go back to my place if you want." He said.

"No, we can still go to Paul's." I wiped the tear streaks off of my face. Embry gave me a slight squeeze, then took my hand and led me back towards the center of La Push.

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**hello again! I apologize for being so inconsistent. I've been so busy the past few weeks. However, now I'm on vacation so I should be updating semi-regularly! Yay! I hope you enjoy! Review please! :)**


	5. Protect Her

Embry

Ruthie hesitated before entering the house. She looked nervous, and I knew it was because she hated social situations.

"Hey, I'll be right here all night." I said, placing a hand on her back. She looked up at me and gave me a shy smile. I opened the door and followed her in. Everybody was already here, so it was pretty crowded. The pack had known Ruthie for a long time too, and they knew her story just from being inside my head. Not all of them knew she was my imprint, however. Guiding Ruthie towards the living room, I helped her sit in an armchair next to Ri. Ri immediately began talking to Ruthie, and I felt Ruthie relax a little.

"I'm going to go say hi to everyone. Will you be ok here?" I asked, leaning closer to her so nobody could hear. She nodded.

"I'll bring you food when I come back." I said, standing up and moving away. I first went over to Paul, who was in the kitchen with Scarlett.

"Embry! Glad you could make it!" Paul said. Scarlett looked up from what she was working on and gave me a quick hug.

"Is Ruthie here too?" She asked.

"She's over with Ri. Not too fond of crowds." I said.

"I'll have to go say hi later. Help yourselves to the food. Make sure you eat before Paul does." She teased, hitting her boyfriend lightly on the stomach. In return he tugged at the end of her ponytail. I left the kitchen and found the food. Quil was sitting on the floor with Claire near the table.

"Claire sweetie you have to eat."

"Don't wanna." She said stubbornly. I nudged Quil lightly with my foot, then picked up two plates and filled them. I made my way back to Ruthie, saying hi to everyone as I passed. I handed Ruthie her plate as she talked with Ri, and sat next to Seth on the floor.

"So how are things?" Seth asked. He knew about my imprint, just because he was the only one on patrol when I had phased after imprinting.

"Same as they were I guess. I don't want to push anything further than she wants, but I don't want to push her away, you know?"

"Have you told her about your furry problem?" He asked.

"No. She doesn't need that. I'll tell her when she's safe." I said, leaning back against the chair Ruthie was sitting on. She put her hand on my shoulder absentmindedly. The rest of the night went smoothly. A lot of people came over and talked to us, and Ruthie seemed to become more comfortable even though she knew all of them. When I finally started walking home with Ruthie, she seemed exhausted.

"Hey Em?" She asked tiredly.

"What's up?" I said.

"How come all the guys look at their girls the same way?"

"What do you mean?" I said, confused.

"Like, Seth looks at Ri like she's the only person in existence that matters to him. And so does Paul with Scarlett. And Sam and Emily. And Jake and Nessie. And even Quil and Claire. Their relationships are all different though." She trailed off, lost in thought.

"To them, their girls are the only people they see." I said. Maybe I could tell her about imprinting before telling her about being a wolf.

"In the legends, the spirit wolf people would sometimes find someone that they became fully attached to. Like, love at first sight kind of thing. They called it imprinting. Sam thinks what he and Paul and Seth and Jake and Quil all feel is like remnants of that." I said, choosing my words carefully.

"So the legends are real?" She asked.

"Somewhat." I said, shrugging it off.

"Do you have someone that you've imprinted on?" She said after a moment of silence.

"If I did you would know." I said, even though I knew it wasn't entirely the truth. As we approached the gate to her yard, Ruthie stopped me.

"My dad doesn't need to know you're here." She said, pushing me back with one hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked.

"I'll try my best." She said, before turning around and entering her yard. I watched her go inside, then jogged off into the woods, phasing once I hit the trees. The guys were discussing who was running what patrol lines.

_I'll take one. I said. Sam directed me to where he wanted me to run, and I started running with my nose to the ground._

_So you and Ruthie are together now right?_ Quil thought as he ran beside me.

_We're getting there I guess. I'm not pushing anything._ I said firmly.

_What do you think would happen if you tried to make a move?_ Seth asked.

_She'd be scared. As much as she thinks she needs me, I need her even more. I can't scare her away. _I said, although I wasn't convincing myself. I had definitely thought about trying, but it was more likely for me to tell her I was a wolf than for me to tell her I loved her.

_Her reaction may not be what you expect._ Sam said.

_Yeah, remember when Scarlett beat up Paul when he told her?_ Collin said. Brady barked a laugh, as Paul growled.

_She didn't beat me up_. She just hit me. He clarified.

_Man, your wolf wants to be with her too. _Quil said. I brushed it off, pushing all thoughts of Ruthie out of my head. I ran until it was light out, then went home hoping to sleep before meeting up with Ruthie. After another lecture from my mom, I crashed on my bed. When I woke up, it was almost noon.

"Ruthie called. She said she can't see you today." My mom said when I lumbered through my house. Regardless, I grabbed my keys and drove to the beach. I sat watching the ocean for the rest of the afternoon. For some reason I was really worried about Ruthie. Finally as the sun set I phased and ran another patrol.

I was further out into the woods than we normally run, the wind was fierce and it was torrentially down pouring. The weather made it easier for me to focus on what I was doing, until Leah was loud in my head.

_Guys!_ She showed us what she was seeing. A person was laying in the woods, soaked through to the bone. Her light hair was plastered on her face, obscuring it. Her cheeks and arms were red with blood, and on her wrist was a bracelet. I stumbled in recognition. That was the bracelet I had made for Ruthie in third grade. She never took it off. I picked myself up and ran as fast as I could to where Leah was. Most of the pack was already there when I arrived. They were discussing what to do.

_DONT JUST STAND THERE. WE HAVE TO GET HER SOMEWHERE SAFE._ I thought angrily, stepping closer to her.

_We don't know what her injuries are. Or where to take her_. Sam said. I rolled my eyes and curled my body around her. I felt her shaking with cold, which meant she was still alive.

_Should we take her home?_ Seth asked.

_No! _I thought, growling.

_Let's take her to my house_. I snarled.

_Then Doc Cullen can come take care of her. _Jake said. I nodded my approval, phasing into human form and picking Ruthie up in my arms. I held her close as I ran towards my house.

Seth opened the door for me, following me into the house. My mom was in the living room. She looked like she was about to scold me, but saw Ruthie in my arms. She then was going to start treating Ruthie, but Jake stopped her and explained what was going on.

By the time Doc got to the house, I had almost phased three times due to stress.

"Embry, can you just sit over there so I can examine her?" Carlisle asked calmly. Paul and Sam each grabbed my shoulders and pulled me out into the kitchen. After what seemed like hours, Carlisle came into the kitchen.

"She had a cut on her forehead that needed stitches, a couple more on her arms, and a broken wrist. Not to mention multiple bruises." He said.

"Keep her warm, she's just resting now. I'll be back tomorrow to check up on her. If she wakes up, see if you can find out what happened, but don't push it." He said. I didn't need to be told that. I had spent my whole life not pushing her, and I had a pretty good idea what had happened. That night was the longest night of my life. I didn't sleep, just sat by her bedside, protecting my imprint.

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**hello! To make up for the short-ish chapter earlier, this ones fairly long. Enjoy! Review please! :)**


	6. Awakening

Ruthie

I woke up sore. And also in Embry's room which confused me.

"Em?" I murmured, unable to say anything else. Embry came back from wherever he had zoned out to and looked at me.

"Oh my gosh Ruthie. How do you feel?" He seemed relieved.

"Sore." I said.

"Yep. You have cuts all over you, and a broken wrist. Not to worry though. Carlisle patched you up nicely." He said as my eyes widened.

"You hungry or anything?" He asked again. How one person could worry about me so much was lost to me. I shook my head slightly.

"What happened to me?" I asked. Embry laughed.

"I could ask you the same thing. Leah found you in the woods all beat up. So we brought you here. Then doc came and fixed you up. What we don't know is how you ended up in the woods." He said kindly.

"I ran away." I said, thinking back to last nights events. I wasn't sure how to put words to it.

"Well, good for you for finally leaving, but you couldn't have cut yourself up like this. Carlisle said there was glass in your cuts and stuff." Embry prompted.

"My dad was angry that I had brought you home. He was colorful last night. He smashed some bottle on the floor in his rage, and while he was... You know... He threw me onto the floor a couple times." I said, flinching at the memory. Embry gently brushed a lock of hair out of my face.

"After he fell asleep I left. But I didn't want anyone to see me hurt, so I went into the woods. The weather just got to be too much." I finished. Embry sighed.

"I don't have to go back do I?" I asked quietly. Embry chuckled.

"No sweetheart. You can stay right here. I don't want you going back anyways." He said. I closed my eyes briefly, then looked up at his ceiling.

"Did I ever tell you the story about when Scarlett beat up Paul?" He asked.

"No." I laughed, even though it hurt. Knowing Scarlett, it wasn't a surprise, but I still found it funny.

"When he first told her that he loved her, she had been on the Rez for two days. They were alone on the beach, and he let it slip. She was so surprised that she hit him with her lacrosse stick." Embry laughed, recalling the story. I liked seeing him happy.

"I like that. What about your other friends. How did they tell their girls they loved them?" I asked.

"Seth took Ri to the beach. It was really cheesy romantic. She got a kick out of that. Sam told Emily because Emily wanted to know why Leah was angry with her. Jake and Nessie have known each other since she was a baby, so he had been saying it forever. Jared confessed it at school one day. Scarlett and Paul's story is my favorite though. He deserved it."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because that's not something you just drop on somebody. Especially if you've known them for two days. Imprint or not it's just not fair to the other person." He said. It was obvious he had done some thinking on this.

"They're definitely perfect for each other though." I said.

"Yep. We're all waiting for him to propose now." Embry laughed again.

"What's so funny?" I was confused.

"Quil and I have a bet. Quil thinks they'll get married before they have a kid, but I think they'll have a kid first. Paul doesn't have enough self control. Jared's on my side, Sam's on Quil's." He said. I laughed, because I could see their logic. Our conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come on in Doc." Embry said.

"How are you feeling Ruthie?" Carlisle asked. I shrugged. As the doctor changed my bandages, I realized I wasn't wearing my clothes. I waited until Carlisle left to address it.

"Embry?" I asked, trying to keep calm.

"Yes Hun?" He said, not looking up from the book he had begun reading during my examination.

"Where are my clothes?" Embry's head snapped up.

"Well, uh, yours were all wet and gross, so my mom washed them. But I know how you are about that, so I just found an old tshirt and sweatpants?" His explanation turned into a question at the end. I knew he was lying considering he had worn this shirt last week, but I didn't argue.

"I didn't let anyone see you I swear." He said, drawing an X over his heart with his finger. That relaxed me more. I began drifting of into sleep, but waking up every now and then to make sure Embry was still there. About an hour later, I opened my eyes to find Embry's chair empty. I felt my pulse quicken, and I started getting nervous. What if my dad came to find me? What if something happened to Embry?

"Ruthie, shhhh. It's ok. I'm here." Embry said, coming back into the room.

"You were shaking, so I get you another blanket. I was only gone for a minute." He said, draping the quilt over me. As soon as he pointed it out, I realized how cold I really was. I felt like I had been stuck in a freezer.

"I don't have the body heat to warm this up." I said, reaching for Embry's hand. Having known him so long, I knew that his temperature was always abnormally high. I painfully slid to one side of the bed and tugged at Embry's hand. He sat next to me as I pressed myself into his side. Not only was I warmer, I felt safer too.

The next time I woke up I didn't open my eyes right away. Embry was talking to someone and I didn't want to interrupt.

"I don't know how Quil. I don't want to assume anything. I don't want to assume she's ready." He said, keeping his voice low.

"Have you talked about it with her?" Quil asked.

"She asked me if I would ever get a girlfriend. I was too busy concentrating on not telling her that I wanted her to be my girlfriend to ask if she ever wanted a boyfriend." Embry said, his arms tightening around me. I thought about that as I laid there. I had never considered a boyfriend before, but Embry was the logical choice. And as I thought about it more, I realized that I didn't want anybody but Embry to be my boyfriend. I decided that now would be a good time to wake up, and maybe talk about it. I moved slightly, opening my eyes to the dim afternoon light.

"I'll let you guys be. Glad to see you're doing better." Quil said, touching the top of my head briefly before leaving. I looked up at Embry and he smiled down at me.

"Do you want something to eat?" He asked.

"No. I think I'm ok. Maybe later?" I said. Embry nodded. I propped myself up on my good arm and kissed Embry lightly on the cheek.

"That's for saving me." I said. It was a broad statement, and I meant it that way. Embry had been saving me since preschool. I watched the color rise in his cheeks. He wrapped his arms tighter around me, still grinning.

"Ruthie," he started slowly.

"I want to go out to dinner with you. On a proper date." He said. Before I could answer, his mom came through the door.

"You have to eat something Ruthie. I don't want you starving in this house. I brought you some soup." She said, placing a tray on the bed. She gave Embry a stern look, then disappeared.

"I love your mom." I said, laughing.

"She's still mad at me for last night. The fact that I stayed out, then came home close to midnight with the pack, and didn't let her take care of you made her angry. And the fact that we're alone together like this isn't helpful either." He said, taking the bowl of soup in one hand and giving me a spoon. He held the bowl as I slowly ate from it.

"We've been alone together for years. Why is it such a big deal?" I asked.

"I think she thinks we're like... Together. And that's why I've been sneaking out." He said, trying to pick the right words.

"Theoretically, what would happen if we did end up together?" I asked.

"I'd be the happiest guy alive." Embry said with a smirk.

"You know what I mean." I retorted.

"I'd be able to tell her that you weren't the reason I sneak out." He said.

"Em, why do you sneak out? And don't say for work because I'm positive that's not true." I said. I had been thinking about Embry's job. He never told me what it was, just that he had really flexible hours. He only worked late at night, so it couldn't be anything too rigorous, but he always slept like a rock and ate like a yeti when he came back. 'Work' was just a cover up for whatever he was doing.

"You're not well enough for me to show you. I promise when you're better I will. For now, I just work. That's all." He said calmly. I nodded sleepily, then snuggled into his chest and closed my eyes, sleeping once more.

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**hello again! This is my third update today... Definitely making up for my absence. Enjoy and review please! :)**


	7. All in a Days Work

Embry

I held Ruthie in my arms all night. Every now and then she'd stir due to various things, off balance temperature, pain, or nightmares. Every time she woke I'd fix the problem, kiss the top of her head, and she'd fall back asleep. While she slept I thought about how I was going to show her that I'm a wolf, and also that she's my imprint. I had to make it good. I wanted it to be something that was remembered. It had to be original, so the beach was out. I finally decided around 3 am what I was going to do. It was perfect. I found myself dozing off, hoping that Ruthie wouldn't need me for a few hours while I slept.

When I woke up light was pouring in through the window. Ruthie's arm was draped across my stomach.

"Morning sleepyhead." She said sweetly.

"How are you feeling?" I asked immediately.

"You can stop worrying so much Em. I'm definitely better." She said, slightly annoyed. I smiled at her sass.

"Ok sassypants. I have some plans for today, unless you're not up for it. They can very much wait if you need them to." I said cautiously. I didn't want to push her into doing anything.

"Can we just lay here a while? I'm really not in the mood to move." She said. I graciously pulled her in closer to me. We laid there for a while, talking about everything under the stars. I liked that it was just how it had been before, but we were closer than that. Eventually Sam came into my room, as we were laughing about some dumb joke I had remembered.

"Ruthie, nice to see you're doing well again. Embry, can I speak to you for a moment?" He said. His eyes were Alpha eyes.

"Yeah I'll be out in a sec." I said.

"I'll be right outside if you need anything." I said as I extracted myself from Ruthie's embrace, worried about leaving her alone. She put her hand over mine and gave me a reassuring look.

"I'll be fine." She said. I kissed her forehead quickly, then dashed out the door.

"What do you need Sam?" I said, already worrying about Ruthie.

"Paul and Jared found traces of Leech in our borders. I just wanted you to know. If I send Collin or Brady over, then I need you to come fight. But stay alert." He said. I nodded, dying to get back to Ruthie.

"Can I go now?" I said, already halfway through the door. Sam laughed once.

"Yes you can." He said. I got back into my room as quickly as I could, relaxing when I saw Ruthie sitting up in my bed, a sleeve of crackers in her hands.

"Everything ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, just some news he wanted me to know about work." I said.

"Will you show me now?" She asked eagerly. I laughed nervously and sat on the bed next to her. I put my arms around her as she settled onto my chest.

"I was going to, I promise. That's what my plans were. But with what Sam just told me, I don't know if we should today. I don't want to put you in danger." I said.

"So it's dangerous. Whatever Sam told you is dangerous. And you sneak out at night for it. Are you like a spy or something?" She teased.

"Honestly I kind of am, just less cool." I laughed.

"Because you are so Mr. Cool." She said sarcastically.

"So even though there's danger, can we at least go for a walk? I need to stretch. No offence Em, but your bed is tiny." Ruthie said a little while later.

"I need to be able to keep you safe if I get called in. Why don't we go visit Scarlett and Paul?" I said. I knew Scarlett and Paul could be intimidating, but it was close enough that Ruthie wouldn't have to walk too far, and it was definitely a safe place for her to be if I had to leave. Ruthie nodded, so I helped her sit on the edge of the bed.

"Em, I'm still wearing your clothes." She said, panic stricken.

"Scarlett won't care. She wears running shorts and pinnys all the time. It's no big deal." I said, trying to keep her from worrying. I helped her tie her sneakers, since she only had one hand, then pulled her gently to her feet.

"I missed this." She said, moving around slowly. As I laughed at how happy she was to be walking, she surprised me by pulling me into a hug. I cradled her gently in my arms, keeping her safely next to me.

"Ok, we can walk now." She said happily, moving towards the door. I grabbed her hand and followed her out.

"We're going to Paul's mom!" I called, before shutting the door. Ruthie and I walked slowly. It was a beautiful day out, and somebody was quite chatty. I was only half listening, however. I was extra aware of anyone who may try to harm my girl. When we made it to Paul's, Ruthie became her shy self again. I knocked on the door, then Scarlett answered.

"Hi! This is a nice surprise." Scarlett said.

"Ruthie wanted to go for a walk, but I wanted to keep her safe. Is it alright if we chill here for a bit before going back?" I asked.

"Of course. I think Paul was going to be heading out soon anyways. It'll be nice to have some company so I'm not worried the whole time." She said, sitting on their couch and turning on the TV. I sat on the armchair and pulled Ruthie into my lap.

"Honey I'm heading out." Paul said, coming down the stairs. Scarlett sighed, then stood up.

"Be careful." She said.

"I always am." Paul replied. He kissed her once, long and slow, before slipping out the door. Scarlett sat down again.

"He's way too excited for this." She said.

"Sam said it was only one. It should be easy." I said. Scarlett laughed.

"Sam said one slipped through the borders. That means you have to find it first. There could be more waiting." She said. Ruthie looked at me confused.

"What are you talking about?" She asked quietly.

"Our job is less like spies, more like hunters, or protectors. We've had a security breech, so we now have to go fix it." I said, trying to tell her enough without giving it away.

"You haven't told her yet?" Scarlett asked.

"I was going to today, I swear. But I won't until she's positively safe." I said, hugging Ruthie closer to my chest. It wasn't long before Scarlett got up and started roaming around her small house.

"I'm bored out of my mind!" She yelled ten minutes later.

"Let's go somewhere else then. We could go see if Emily and Claire are home. We could go get Ri to come with us too. As long as I'm with you, nobody should care." I said.

"No, but what if they need you?" Scarlett continued her pacing. I was about to argue, when Collin appeared at the door.

"Embry, Sam says that he's sorry for it, but he needs reinforcements." He said. I sighed.

"Ok Collin. I'll be out in a minute." I said, looking at Ruthie, who had worry streaked in her eyes. Collin stood there a minute uncomfortably, then said,

"And Scarlett, Paul says..." He coughed. "Paul says he loves you and that he can't wait for tonight." He said quietly, his cheeks flushing with color. Scarlett laughed loudly.

"I'm sorry Collin. He can be such a jerk sometimes. He just wanted to make you uncomfortable." She laughed again, going over to Collin and hugging the boy.

"Tell him I'll be waiting." She said with a wink. Collin dashed out the door. I scooped Ruthie up in my arms, hating that I couldn't tell her exactly where I would be.

"Stay here with Scarlett. I'll be home before you know it." I said. I kissed her head softly, hugged her tightly, then put her back in the chair. I saluted Scarlett, then ran out the door. I phased as quickly as I could, searching my head for where Sam wanted me.

_Take the east border with Paul_ Sam directed. I ran to the line, keeping my ears alert and my nose in the air.

_Scarlett called you a jerk_ I teased Paul, showing him what had happened with Collin

_Some couples have pet names for each other, but I'm Jerk and she's Annoying._ He said.

_Lots of love in the LaHote household. _I said sarcastically.

_Pay attention boys._ Leah scolded.

_What are we looking for?_ I asked.

_There have been multiple different leech trails, trying to find a way in. I think our scent on our patrol lines have deterred them. I want to catch them now._ Sam said. Paul and I kept running our line. I liked working with Paul. Although he could be a major jerk sometimes, his energy rubbed off on me. I just wanted to get these leeches so I could go back to my Ruthie. After what had seemed like ages, something finally happened.

_Four leeches, north side_! Jared called. Paul was about to start sprinting up there, but Sam called him off.

_There could be more trying to break in on the other sides. These could be a distraction. Stay at your posts! _Sam barked. Sure enough, another leech appeared on our side. Paul and I ripped him up easily.

_All in a days work_ Paul thought contentedly. I just wanted to get back to Ruthie.

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**hi! Thank you to everyone who's left me reviews. I love getting them! Enjoy this next chapter! :)**


	8. Wanting Bliss

Ruthie

I spent most of the day with Scarlett. Once the boys left she sat cross legged on the couch and looked at me.

"What does it mean now that I'm Embry's imprint?" I asked.

"Honestly for you nothing will change. He's been imprinted on you since he was like fifteen years old, or so I've been told. He's been seeing you as an imprint for so long, the only change will be that it's out in the open now." She said. I thought about that for a minute. It didn't seem like a bad thing.

"It's not always this easy. Trust me." She said, laughing.

"Em told me about how Paul told you. I think it's pretty funny." I said.

"I mean it was an accident. He didn't mean to tell me. But he did because things with us were so rocky at the time. Although I suppose it didn't get much better for a while." She said, lost in her memories.

"Why?" I asked.

"When Paul first told me, I had just moved from Michigan. I had been here two days and then this jerk friend of my cousin told me that he was desperately in love with me. That really messed me up. I had planned not to stay here for much longer, get through my senior year of high school, then go to Syracuse or Florida or somewhere to play lacrosse. I didn't expect to be tied down here at all."

"I remember that. Coming into the school year it was big talk that Paul had finally committed to someone." I chimed in.

"So I did finish my senior year, and during that time Paul had convinced me that he wasn't a total jerk all the time. But then I had to make a decision. Go to my dream school across the country, or stay with Paul. Paul was really supportive of it. He didn't want to hold me back. He knew that even as an imprint I would never love anything as much as lacrosse. We spent a lot of time talking about it. Weighing the possibilities, you know? I could go, and Paul could stay here, but the physical barrier would take its toll on both of us. I could go, and Paul could go with me, but Paul didn't have that kind of money. He hadn't been planning on going to college after high school. Or I could stay here with him. I think Paul was more against me staying than anyone. But I didn't want to be without him. After a year of spending so much time together I had come to love his stupid guts." She said. I loved the way she talked about him, contradicting herself.

"Ultimately I chose to stay here. If I want to get a college degree later in life, I'll just go somewhere close or take online classes. But right now my life is in place. I'm here with Paul." She said.

"Is the imprint really that strong then? That it would affect you had you gone to school far away?"

"It takes a physical toll on you. Typically both imprints get sick and are completely exhausted. I would know first hand. I avoided Paul for a week after he told me, just to be stubborn."

"You two are quite the match." I speculated.

"Emily has this theory that imprints aren't the opposite of the imprinter. She thinks that instead of opposites attracting, same personalities attract, like finding your missing half. For example, if opposites attract, Embry would have imprinted on me. Because he's really passive and gentle, and I'm stubborn and aggressive. But instead I'm stuck with Paul, because he has the same aggression. He knows how to handle me, and I know how to handle him. You're with Embry because you've been passive your whole life. Seth and Ri are the most happy-go-lucky people you will meet. Jared and Kim both love wholeheartedly. Not saying everyone else doesn't, but they're so obvious about it. Sam and Emily both have a parental personality." She said.

"What about Jake and Nessie?" I reminded her.

"When Embry shows you what his job is, you'll understand more. But Jake had eyes for Nessie's mom for a long time. He finally met Nes, and bam. Imprint. So they're connected that way." She said. I was still pretty confused, but if decided to ask Embry about it later.

It didn't take too long for the guys to come back. It was still light out. I heard Paul laughing loudly as he approached the house. He opened the door and pulled Scarlett into a tight hug.

"We got them good." He said, kissing her. Embry followed him in, immediately coming over to me.

"You wanna see what I do for work now?" He asked. I nodded, standing up. He took my hand and led me outside. We walked into the woods surrounding La Push. Embry kept insisting that I stop and rest, but I was feeling fine. We finally made it to a small clearing. Embry took both of my hands in his own.

"Ok, what I'm about to show you may frighten you. Just remember I'm right here." He said quietly. He kissed my head again, then took a few steps back.

"I'll be right back. Don't worry." He sad, backing behind a tree. I gazed after him, wishing he would come back already. The next thing I saw was a giant wolf. It was as big as a bear at least, maybe bigger. It had come from where Embry was standing. As it approached me, I remembered what Embry had said. He said it might frighten me, so I didn't let it. I stayed where I was, letting the wolf come closer. As it did I realized it had Embry's sweet, kind, eyes.

"Embry?" I said, feeling kind of foolish. The wolf nodded his large head. I raised my hand up and cautiously put it on his fur. He smiled, as well as a wolf could, then licked my arm.

"Will you come back now? I wanna talk with you." I asked. Embry licked my arm again, then bolted back into the woods. A minute later he came back.

"How much are you freaking out that you aren't showing me?" He asked.

"To be honest not too much. Since the imprinting legends were true, why not these ones too?" I said shrugging it off. Embry looked relieved.

"Great! Now I can fill you in on all of the holes." He said excitedly, sitting down and pulling me into his lap so I wouldn't have to sit in the damp grass.

"Paul told Scarlett about imprinting first too, kind of. He explained what it felt like, she made the connection that it was her and hit him with her lacrosse stick. One of the things that cause phasing is anger. Paul was so fed up that he phased right there on the beach. Another thing that causes phasing is stress. I almost phased a lot when you were hurt. When I first phased, I wasn't sure what to do. We have to keep it a secret, so I stopped hanging out with you. Obviously my wolf wanted to be with you, because the next time I saw you I imprinted. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel obligated to date me. You didn't need that stress in your life. My mom still doesn't know I'm a wolf, which sucks because I'm grounded all the time. As wolves we protect the Rez, and that what we were doing today. The cold ones are our sworn enemies, except for the clan that lives in Forks. Jake's been Bella's best friend for ages, but once she had Nessie he imprinted on Nes. Long story. But now that you know I feel so much better because you told me every secret of yours and I had two huge secrets that I couldn't tell you and-" I cut off Embry's ramble with a kiss.

"Have I told you lately how perfect you are?" He said after we broke apart. I laughed.

"I think you may have mentioned it." I joked.

"What are your plans for after high school?" Embry asked suddenly.

"We've talked about this before. I have no idea. I don't have money for college, but I don't want to stay at my house."

"Will you live with me then?" He asked quietly. I thought about it for a moment. I would get to stay away from my dad, and get to be with Embry every day.

"Yeah I'd like that." I said. Embry smiled and kissed me again quickly.

"I was thinking that I could get an actual job too, and save up for a house. Then we could do what Paul and Scarlett are doing." He said. I had a momentary vision of Embry and I having a quaint little house in La Push, cooking together and watching tv together and doing homey things together. It was blissful, and I liked it. After all the chaos in my life, I definitely wanted blissful.

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**hello! I hope you enjoyed this! It's taken me a little bit to figure out exactly how I wanted this to happen but it did. I also hope you liked that insight to Scarlett. I promise I'm working on ****_Never Alone, _****it just is taking a little while too. Slowly but surely I'm getting there. Third matter of business, I'm considering starting a Leah/OC imprint story. Feedback on any of these three things would be fantastic! :)**


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